Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-06-25
reflections come ar,erwara.

mOrs which occasionally reached them from
the great Boer gathering at Paarde Kraal to
disturb their serenity. There had been 90
many Of these rumors Of rebellion that folk
were getting to regard them as a chronic
state Of affairs.
"Oh. the Boers!" said Bessie, with a pretty
toss Of hcr golden head, as they were sitting
one morning OH the veranda. "I'm sick to
death Of hearing about the Beers and all their
got up talk. know what it is; it Is just an
excuse for them to go away from their farms
and wives and children and idle about at
these great meetings, and drink square face
with their mouths full Of big words. You
see what jess says in her last letter. People
in Pretoria believe that it is all nonsense from
beginning to end, and I think they arc per-
fectly right"
"By tho way, Bessie" asked John, "have
you written to jess telling her Of our ngage
mentW
"Oh, yes I wrote some days ago, but the
letter only went yesterday. She will be
pleased to hear about it. Dear old jess, I
wonder wherl she means to come home again.
She has been away long enough"
John mado no answer, but wen on smoking
his pipe in silence, wondering il jess would
be pleased. He did not understand her yet
She had gone away just as he was beginning
to understand her.
Presently he observed Jantje sneaking
about between the orange trees as though he
wished to call attention to himself. Had Tho
not wanted to do so he would have moved
from one to tho other in such a way that
nobody could have seen him. His partial and
desultory appearances indicated that he was
on view.
"Come out of those trees, you little rascal,
and stop slipping about like a snake i'll a stone
wall !" shouted John. "what is it you want
-wagesp
Thus adjured, Jantjc advanced and sat
down OH tho path us usual, in the full glare Of
the sun
mo, baas," he said" it is not wages. They
arc not duo yet"
"What is it then!"
mo. baas, it is this. Tho Beers have
declared war on the English government, and
they have eaten up the rooibaatjes ut Bron-
ker's Spruit, near Middclburg. 'Joubert shot
them all there tho day before yesterday"
"What!" shouted John, letting his pipe fall
in his establishment. "Stop, though, that
must be a lie. You say near Middclburg, the
day before yesterday; that would be Dec. 70.
When did you hear this"
A dayhrcak, baas. A Basutu told me."- -
"Then there is an end Of il. Tho news
could not have got hero i'll thirty-cight hours.
What do you mean by coming to mo with
such a taleN
The Hottentot smiled. ut is quito true,
baas. Bad news flies like a bird" and he
picked himself up and slipped or to his
work.
Notwithstanding the apparent impossibility
Of tho thing, John was considerably dis
turbed, knowing the extraordinary speed
with which news does trnvc among Kaflirs;
more swiftly, indeed, than tho swiftest
mounted messenger can bear it. Leaving
Bessie, who was also somewhat alarmed, Ito
went in search of Silas Croft, and, finding
him in tho garden, told him what Jantje had
said. The old man did not know what to
mako of tho tale, but, remembering Frank
Muller's threats, lie shook his head.
"lf there is any truth in it that villain Null
Ter has q hand in it, he said. "Ill go to the
house and SEQ Jantje. Give me your arm,
John"
He obeycd, and, on getting to tho top Of
the steep path, perceived tho stout figure OF
old Hans Coetzcc, who had been his host at
tho shooting party, ambling along Oh his fat
little pony.
"Ah," said old Silas, "llcre is tho man who
will tell us if there is anything in it ALL"
Good day, ON Coetzee, good day!" he
shouted out in his stentorian tone. "What
news do you bring with you!"
The jolly looking Boer rolled %awkwardly
OF bis pony before answering, and, throwing
tho reins over its head, came to meet them.
"Allemachter, ON Silas, it is bad news.
You have heard Of tho bymakaar (meeting)
ut Panrdo Krual. Frank Muller wanted me
to go, but l would not, and now they have
declared war on tho British government, and
sent a proclamation to Lanyon. There will
be fighting, ON Silas; the land will run with
blood, and tho poor rooibaatjes will he shot
dow like buck"
"The poor Beers, you mcan," growled
John, who did not like to hear her majesty's
army talked Of in terms Of regrctful pity.
ON Coetzee shook his head with the air of
one who knew all about it, and then turned
an attentive ear to Silas Croftis version OF
Jantje's story.
"Allcmachter" groaned Coctzee, "what did
l tell you! The poor rooibaatjes shot down
like buck, and tho land running with blood.
And now that Frank Muller will draw me
into 1t, and l shall nave to go and shoot tho
poor rooibaatjes, and I can't miss; try as
hard as l will, l can't mss. And when we
have shot them oil I suppose Burgers will
como back, and he is lrankish (mad). Yes,
yes; Lanyon is bad, but Burgers is worse"
and the comfortable old gentleman groaned
aloud at the troubles In which he
foresaw he would be involved, and finally
took his departure by q bride path over tho
mountain, saying that, as things had turned
out, he would not like IL to be known that he
had been calling on an Englishman.
"John," said Silas Croft, suddenly, "you
must go up to Pretoria and fetch Jess. Mark
my words, the Beers will besiege Pretoria,
and If we don't get her down at once she will
be shut up there"
"Oh, no." cried Bessie, in sudden alarm, II
cannot let John CO."
II am sorry to hear you talk like that, Bes-
sic, when your sister is in danger" answered
her uncle. rather sternly; "but there, I dare
saythat it is natural. will go myself. Where
Is Jantje! l shall want the Cape cart ind the
four gray horses"
"No, uncle dear, John shall go. I was not
thinking what 1 was saying. 1t seemed-a
little hard at first"
"Of course I must 60" said John. "Don't
fret, dear; I shall be back in five days. Those
four horses can go sixty miles q day for that
time, and more. They arc fat as butter. and
there is lots Of grass along the road il l can't
get forage for them. Besides, tho cart will
be nearly empty, 70 I can carry O mud Of
mealies and fifty bundles Of forage with me.
l will take that Zulu boy, Mouti (medicine),
with me. He does not know much about
horses, but he Is a plucky fellow, and would
stick by one at a pinch. One can't rely on
Jamie; he Is always sneaking of somewhere,
4-1 v,,r,,1l 10 o,,-o 81 -.A -.-Y -.